A Rose Without Thorns
by havenn
Summary: CHAPTER 3 NOW UP: Hitomi always had the power to grant her own private wishes...until someone decided to use her to grant their own.
1. Assignment

AN: Hmmm…this is an interesting fic. I haven't decided if it's going to be good/popular yet though. I guess you'll see if you read it. I made the first chapter short so if you guys thinks it sucks then you can tell me and I won't waste time writing any more! Enjoy!

The girl spun the blade through her fingers with enormous talent, although she attempted to show none. She was merely trying to intimidate her superior. And it wasn't working. He drew himself closer to her in a single sweep that left them inches apart.

"I need your services once more," he rasped and she could identify the helplessness in his shallow voice. She smiled in spite of herself, her green eyes flickering mischievously. Just to wind him up further, she continued to spin the blade, faster now. In a single fluid motion he cuffed the blade out of her hand and sent it spiraling into a wall a dozen feet off. "Will you help me one final time?"

Again she remained silent. It took all she had not to let the hatred she felt towards this man show in her glittering emerald eyes. "I know what this does to you. I understand." He had finally hit a soft spot.

"No!" she screeched and charged at him, leaving him even more breathless than before. "No one understands what I feel like. No one!" She spun her arm down into her boot and whipped out a long knife, resting the trembling tip beneath the others chin.

To her surprise, he began to chuckle. "If this is how you wish to put an end to me," he challenged, the chuckling having stopped, "then slice my throat now." As if to emphasize his challenge, he thrust his chin skyward and closed his gray eyes.

The young woman's hand was trembling fiercely and her eyes whispered determination. Abruptly she let the long knife fall to the tile floor with a soft clang. Her superior's gray eyes met her and he let a small smile play on the edges of his lips.

"I see we have come to another agreement, Miss Hitomi."

Van sat at the edge of cliff, dangling his legs over the lip of it, staring into the darkening sky. His legs were beginning to cramp and he knew he should head back to the castle, but something made him stay a while longer. There was a soft wind blowing the hardy mountain grasses back and forth as if rocking them to sleep. Night birds began to come out to start their hunts, and animals scurried home as the night drew closer. Van didn't even notice when he laid his back on the cool rock surface, nor when he closed his cinnamon eyes.

"Lord Van!" there was an irritation sounding in the familiar voice that brought Van to his feet immediately. Merle was standing a little farther back on the bluff; her face was swollen with anger, her clothing was in tatters, and even her fluffy little tail was tufted out. "Lord Van! Is this the ultra-super-duper-incredible-mega secret conference I wasn't told about?"

Van smiled in spite of himself which only made Merle angrier. "You could have been hurt Lord Van! What would I have done then? Huh? Can you answer that?"

"I'm sorry Merle, next time I go out, I'll be sure to make a note of that," he said with mock sympathy. His answer resulted in Merle spitting and hissing a bit more before she collected herself.

"Well come on now," she hissed and scampered ahead on all fours. _Just like Merle, _Van thought.

When they reached the gates of the castle, Van was warmly greeted by his guards and other random people in the area. He smiled and waved at most of them as he was ushered inside quickly. Immediately he was informed of the arrival of a messenger from Asturia bearing important news.

Sighing, he brushed most the dirt off his clothes and was rushed to conference room. Upon entering, he heard the heavy doors shut and the locks click like he was a convict in holding. When turning to reach the table, he encountered a long blonde-haired man with his back turned. "It sure did take you a while to arrive," the blonde spoke haughtily.

"And who would talk as such to me?" Van questioned, already wishing he wasn't locked in. The blonde turned and cerulean blue eyes fixed on his.

"I believe we have met once or twice before?" Allen questioned jokingly, wearing a small phony smile.

"And if I know where this meeting is going, I believe you already know my answer." Allen pulled up a chair across from where Van was sitting.

"There are a few things I left unfinished in our last discussion and I would rather you make a decision based on all the facts."

"Facts or no, my decision is final."

"But you realize that if anything happens to Fanelia again then the whole of Gaia will fall."

"Fall to whom?"

"To Zaibach!"

"First, we both know that Zaibach is gone. It's been gone for years. Second, even if they were back, I grant you, Asturia was their ally, why should I believe a word you say?" Allen was taken aback.

"That is atrocious. You know I never was allied to Zaibach."

"Your country was."

"That's beside the point!"

"No, actually, that's more to the point than anything you've already told me."

"Will you please let me finish."

"Do I have to?"

"If all the countries of Gaia don't become one large country, we'll be overrun! Zaibach has too many eyes in too many places, and we are all too scattered to do anything about it. I promise you, if you willingly give over Fanelia to me, I will make sure she is protected from anything and—"

"I've heard enough!"

"But you have to, there is no one stronger than an Asturian and—"

"No."

"You hold the fate Gaia in your own hands!" That froze Van. He hadn't expected Allen to right out say it. He knew that was what he was implying, however, saying it made a big difference. Allen could sense his defense falling and jumped at the opportunity.

"What you do could affect the entire world of Gaia! I can handle that responsibility—" He finally lost his grip on Van.

"NO!" Van screamed not meaning to. Allen's eyes blazed with anger, but he kept whatever he was feeling to himself. He nodded his acknowledgement to Van, turned on his heel, and left.

Van didn't even notice the pair of bright emerald eyes peering at him through the stained glass windows of the conference room.

AN: Hope you liked! I don't really know exactly where I am going with this so I can't tell you any secrets about the next chapter, sorry! Please R&R! Remember, the more who review, the better the next chapter will be!


	2. Emerald Eyes

**AN: Yay! I'm happy that people reviewed and stuff which is why I'm writing a new chapter! Okay, I'll actually start now.**

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It had begun raining a few minutes after Van had entered the Conference Room and left Fanelians in the city streets scurrying about for shelter. Hitomi laughed at their stupidity of running from water. It was just water. Although she didn't mind the wetness, she did mind the cold that was running from the air to deep inside her bones, leaving her shivering outside the stone castle walls.

It was amazing that Fanelia had been able to re-establish itself so quickly after the Great Wars. She was vaguely impressed with Van. Ah yes, Van. It had only been a few years since their last encounter and yet it seemed too short a time to see him again. Hitomi had been summoned away from this God-forsaken place years ago, and to be taken back her now, to pretend nothing had happened.

Her mind twirled and she had to take deep breaths to continue concentrating on her objective. She either had to convince the young prince to join her, or she had to kill him. Easy enough? She smiled, _This is going to be easier than I thought. _With that in mind, she leapt from her perch on the window and started towards the Castle door.

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Van sat in the Conference Room with his head in his hands. He let his mind drift to all the previous meetings he had had with the Knight Caeli. None of them had gone well, not since…He bit his lip so as not to speak of her, but he knew someday he would have to. Deeply sighing, he lifted his head into his hands and let his head sink into his palms.

Allen had somehow blamed Van for the disappearance of his bride on his wedding day. Van, of course, had nothing to do with the blue pillar of light that had engulfed his bride and sent her somewhere far away. He smiled in spite of himself, he deserved it.

However, the half-friendship he had maintained with Allen during the time of the Great War was now shattered in more places than could ever be fixed. And now that lead to all of Allen's attempts to dethrone him. That would never happen. **( AN****: Sorry if I am a bit off in writing from here on, as my hamster just got eaten by my dogs! :'( )**

"Sir?" a small voice asked. When Van turned to look it was just a servant with a boyish face, and a round body. "Sir, there is a lady waiting for you in the Hall." He bowed, not waiting for an answer and departed momentarily.

"Perfect," Van said aloud unintentionally. All he had wanted to do was just lay down and fall asleep. Was that so much to ask? Apparently, it was.

He shuffled out of the Conference Room, and walked unhurriedly to the Hall. When he arrived, he came face-to-face with a young woman who seemed very familiar. She had mid-back length honeysuckle hair that flowed out from within the dark depths of her black cowl.

Upon his entry, she stood and bowed her head before him, allowing the folds of her garment to cloak her face further. "Sorry to disturb you so late, Lord," she rasped quietly, her face shielded from him by her dark clothes and golden hair.

"No problem at all," Van hesitated, trying to see the others face.

"Well then, you won't mind me inquiring that I speak what I have to say to you tomorrow then? I've traveled hard and long and am in need of food, a bath and a warm bed if you'd be so kind?"

"Certainly," Van answered unsurely. He had never had someone so blunt come to speak with him before, especially a woman, not since…he cut himself off for the second time that night. "Adra will show you to your quarters." He nodded at a female guard who had previously melted into the shadows of the hall. Now as she stepped forward, the woman was rather pretty with short cropped black hair and dazzling yellowish eyes. She almost had the look of a snake.

"Thank you, Milord," the black-cloaked woman responded, bowing (and hiding) her face once again from him. As she turned to follow Adra, she gave him a quick glance at her face, and the only thing he could see was her bright, glistening emerald eyes.

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The sun filtered in through an opening in the drapery of the King's room. Birds became active once more, twittering around happily and rousing members of the Fanelian Castle. Van was one of them. He opened his cinnamon sleep-filled eyes and rolled onto his back.

It took him only a few moments to rise, clean and dress before he walked out of his bedroom door. To his surprise, the woman with the black cowl was waiting across the corridor for him. This new revelation made him even more uneasy in her presence. He continued to walk by as if he hadn't noticed her, but the effort was futile.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted rather dryly. The sun had sifted into the corridor and made her honey hair sparkle tantalizingly. In some strange way, he was drawn to her, no, bound to her. "Sir?"

"Oh," he responded, recovering from his daze, "Have you eaten any breakfast yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you. I supposed we could talk then."

"Ah." He quickened his pace but she gladly stepped it up right along side him. By the time they were to the dining hall, they were practically running. Van found his place set with simmering steak, sizzling eggs, seething bacon and a glass of warm goats' milk. As he seated himself, he noticed no place was set for his strange visitor.

She smiled (he thought) and sat down a few chairs from him. Quickly, a manservant passed her a plate as well, though not a carefully tended as Van's. If this bothered her, she made no mention of it.

"I suppose you have been forewarned of Zaibach by the Asturian?" she announced nonchalantly, not even looking up from the eggs which she stirred disinterestedly. Van's breath caught in his throat. How did she know of Allen's visit? How did she know that Allen had even talked about Zaibach? Her abruptness sent chills of suspicion down his spine.

"How did you know that?" he responded, trying to hold his temper in check.

"That is beside the point," she leaned forward and pushed the plate away, allowing her honey-colored hair to drape across her face. "What I have come to tell you is of Zaibach. Will you have me or not?"

"We both know that Zaibach is gone and nothing you can say will cause me to believe otherwise."

"Will you listen to me or not?" Van could feel the harshness in her voice. What would it matter if her listened to her. Just because she said something didn't mean he had to believe it, or even accept it. After short moments of deliberation, he solemnly nodded and he could have sworn he saw her eyes smiling.

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**AN: Sorry to leave it like that, but I had to catch you in some kind of reading net huh? Well anyway, I also wanted to post another chapter so it would be up tomorrow. Also, I think I cleared up maybe a few things, but more will be revealed in the next chappie. So..keep reading and reviewing!**


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